Any initiative in Kashmir only after normalcy restored: Omar

“The consensus that emerged was that a prerequisite for any sort of initiative in the state, be it political or administrative, will require a restoration or semblance of normalcy,” Abdullah told reporters here after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The meeting was also attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.
“Tragically, we have lost ourselves in a cycle of violence where protests lead to death, leading to further protests leading to further casualties. The cycle of violence must end,” he said.

Abdullah said the problem of Kashmir was a political one, and therefore would require a political package. He said that the initiatives could be related to the "footprint" of the security forces, return of young men from across the border and the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.